1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circuit interrupters generally and, more specifically, to those kinds of circuit interrupters having a base and a cover with an electrical terminal disposed in the base.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Molded case circuit breakers and interrupters are well known in the art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,408 issued Mar. 5, 1985, to Mrenna et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,760 issued Jun. 8, 1999 to Malingowski, et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.
A continuing industry objective with respect to many types of circuit interrupters is to be able to reduce the size and/or footprint of the interrupter housing while at the same time providing the same or improved performance capabilities. A major advantage of creating such a "smaller package" is that it provides increased flexibility in installation. However, a consequence of this objective is that the internal space constraints of such interrupters have become much more limiting, posing certain design obstacles that need to be overcome.
In circuit interrupters, it is necessary to ensure that the electrical terminals thereof, such as the line and load terminals, are properly secured within the interrupter housing. While the prior art provides for terminal securement, the prior art does not teach securement that can also be effectively employed within circuit interrupters having the aforementioned space constraints. In addition, the prior art does not provide for securement that takes advantage of the positioning of the housing cover on top of the housing base, that provides an effective and convenient way of creating a frictional engagement between the terminal and the base, or that provides for a more form-fitting and snug positioning of the terminal within the base by accommodating the desired molded manufacturing parameters of the base.